A New Zealand-born accounts manager received “non-survival head injuries” after being hit by a Lebanese cedar branch blown off by a gust of wind in the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew, south-west London.

Jeremiah is one of the prophets of the Old Testament. He had a terrible time. He was a decent fellow, but Jerusalem, the city that most mattered to him, was destroyed by the Babylonians.

He loved his bike. He was thinking of tomorrow, and put on a burst of speed. He didn't see the van changing lanes until too late. The van driver wasn't being careless, but he'll never escape the guilt.

It was a completely ordinary journey on an unremarkable morning. Passengers were silently fretting about their credit-card repayments, speculating about sex with someone further down the carriage, idly taking in the winter scenery, thinking about a sandwich for lunch.